springs

[daewoomofo]

im looking to get some 60+mm lowering springs for my lanos. i know no one here in the states has any thing that will get me that low. i plan on buying a set of springs for a nexia or astra, or any other car that i can be 1000% sure the springs will fit from. my problem is that i look on ebay uk and alot of the brands are ones ive never heard of here in the states, ie Gmax, Jamex, PI, Racedynamics and such. since i nor anyone i know have any experiance with any of the uk/europe brands i dont know what is good and what is crap. i know that the astra mk2 is suposed to be a direct fit for the lanos, as should be the nexia, but (and i know this has been covered MANY time) what else will fit? so that i can have more of a selection for my searches. any help from ANYONE is greatly appreciated! thanks

[Rodd1s]

astra mk2 springs are NOT a direct fit for the lanos as i've found out. the rear springs arent a problem at all... because of how basic their design is they can fit in a number of cars, but the front springs WILL NOT fit.

if ur looking to buy springs from the UK, i'd stay away from GMAX and Jamex (they're made in the same factory if i remember correctly) because they become "bouncy" and occasionally do tend to snap. yes, snap. ive seen this happen on a little citroen saxo (weight: approx. 900kg) with gmax springs. PI springs are alright as long as you dont intend on using the car on the track.

more on the mk2 springs, they dont fit because the coil diameter is too large, either of the end coils of mk2 springs wont sit in the holding "cups" that are on the lanos' struts. when i wanted the mk2 gte springs fitted on my lanos, two mechanics told me i'd be better off trying to find springs from a late astra mk3 or early mk4.

the idea that astra mk2 and lanos suspension is interchangeable is a myth, but the suspension setups between the 2 cars are very similar, its just the small details that make incompatible with each other.

if anyone doesnt believe me, try it for yourselves... mk2 front springs wont fit lanos struts.. unless you're up for modification to the struts, which in turn could jeopardise the car's safety.

[EDIT] one final thought... have we got any proof or pictures of anyone who has mk2 springs on their lanos? the only other way would be to use the mk2 struts and modifying the top-hat to fit and changing the hubs and bearings to fit to the lanos.

and to answer your question... look for late mk3 or early mk4 springs instead - but they're not guranteed to fit, measure twice, buy once. dont buy twice like i did.

[daewoomofo]

any one else have any input?

[Big Jeff]

as i haven't lowered my car yet. i don't know

soo i ask my freinds (one of them has a VW Golf about 400bhp ) he said basicaly what Rodd1s said

[daewoomofo]

i thought there were people that have used the astra spings on a lanos? would any one that has an astra care to measure the diameter of their springs?


or can any one recomend a place that can make me a custom set of springs? i really want my car sitting lower. but i cant get low enough with usa suppliers parts (corrrectly that is) thanks

[greenbluewoo]

I have astra lowering springs I will measure them for you but dont have them on the car yet I hope they fit

[greenbluewoo]

its bin a while heres the pics as promised side shot top of astra spring top of lanos spring bottom side astra spring on lanos strut heres a pic of the back lowered I dont have the front on yet though will post when I get them on

[daewoomofo]

thanks greenblue, i apreciate that. the back looks good, nice and low!

[wolfsreign]

sorry to reply on an old thread, but i want to lower my lanos HB too,

so the springs are saturn astra? or bought (after market) lowered saturn astra springs?

also, mk2 or 3 or 4?





and with all that; struts are stock, or aftermarket?
thanks in advance.
~wolf

[daewoomofo]

if you just want to lower your car not slam it you can get eibachs for the lanos here in the states, it will give your car a stance like mine (i have the eibachs on my lanos)

[wolfsreign]

thats nice, but sadly, its just not low enough for my taste. haha
im not exactly what "slam" means, but i want it to be low enough to where the tires barely tuck in, and there is still room for the suspension to move, so it doesn't bottom out on dips or jumps....

plus im also looking for the LEASTTTT expensive way, and i know there never is, my first thought was just hell with it, and cut the springs.. read about it, and found that its the worst idea to ever do, so im trying to find/read about someone doing it to their lanos HB that works. hahaha

and seeing the pictures of the astra's next to the stock lanos.... i was liking the height difference.

[daewoomofo]

well those astra springs he put on his lanos arent for the saturn astra, but an astra mk2. its basicly a pontiac lemans, but from europe. your not gonna be able to find a cheap right way to get that low, if you could i would have done it along time ago. greenblue had to get those springs from europe. which im betting is expencive. you can get the lanos eibachs for like (if i remember correctly) 180+ shipping. so for about 220 or so you cna get as low as i am. if the car is driven every day you dont really want it too much lower, hell my front bumper is only 5.5 inches off the ground.

[wolfsreign]

pretty sexy. alright then. ya, everyone talks about "astra" or "mk2/3" and im just like b.c i also know half the people are in europe...
well i guess ill go the way you went mofo.

i probably wont be buying them though for about 4months.. why i was looking to see i could get donor parts off a "astra" like search a junkyard in my area and steal the springs.
also though mofo, did you change the struts? b.c from what i read when you change the springs/struts is highly recommended to change the struts/springs too.
ANDDD same ?'s for the rear.
~wolf

[daewoomofo]

yeah i did the struts up front and shocks in the rear. i also did the ball joints and outter tie rod endes too, as they get damaged in the strut removal. i recomend (asuming the car is just a every day street car) the KYB GR2 struts, i pland on getting the shocks to match, i had the KYB gas-adjust shocks in the rear and they totaly sucked, VERY soft car handled like crap wit them (and despite the name, you cant adjust them) so i replaced them with jsut plain ole gabreal ultras, bad thing is that the gabreals are WAY better then the gas-adjusts were, but i want to try the gr2 shocks.

[wolfsreign]

well honestly.. i dont care much about quality. haha and yes its suspension... but i seriously drive like im a maniac.. yet im very safe with people in the car. and everything i do to my car is soooo ghetto and rigged.. you look at it and say (wtf?) i shall show an example: air filter...

if you looooook very closely.. theres a strap around the pipe, which is, yes, a cut extension pipe of a shop vac. yes they are glued so no air goes in.
back to subject, so.. would the "KYB GR2 struts" be the cheapest and durable? (guessing you did your research so it must be. haha)
and with those i will be getting the "lanos eibachs pro-kit lowering springs" if thats correct?

and the rear, i would get the same springs ^^^
the shocks i should/would get? KYB GR2 shocks? b.c they have the "KYB GR-2® / Excel-G® twin-tube shocks, struts, and cartridges" idk if its the shock or cartridges... @.@